Buried irrigation jar
Regular price
$50.00
Regular price
Sale price
$50.00
Unit price
/
per
This terracotta irrigation jar is buried up to its neck and is available in 1, 2, or 6 litres. Its height ranges from 18 to 32 cm depending on the capacity, and it is the available soil depth that determines which size to choose.
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The summary
- Capacities: 1, 2, or 6 litres of reserve.
- Dimensions: 18 to 32 cm tall and 12 to 22 cm wide, weighing 1.5 to 4 kg.
- The deciding factor: the depth of available soil, before even considering plant size.
- Installation: buried to the neck, soil firmed around it, opening covered.
- Material: terracotta, whose walls allow water to pass through at the pace of the surrounding soil.
- How it arrives: up to 4 kg of terracotta, carefully packaged.
Underground terracotta reservoir, one to six litres
This irrigation jar takes up space in the ground, and that is precisely what allows it to need refilling infrequently, as it holds 1, 2 or 6 litres of reserve depending on the size. A compact olla needs topping up every 2 or 3 days in the height of summer, whereas this one lasts the week on the same plantings.
The principle is the same as for all porous clay vessels. Water passes through the clay wall when the surrounding soil dries out, and the flow stops automatically when it is moist, so the plant takes what it needs without any adjustment on your part. What differs from one model to another is the footprint, and that is what should drive your choice.
🪣 Three reservoir sizes
The three sizes differ in more than just their capacity. The 1-litre model measures 18 cm tall by 12 cm wide and weighs 1.5 kg, while the 6-litre version reaches 32 cm by 22 cm and weighs 4 kg. The 2-litre jar sits between the two. This difference in dimensions matters at the time of purchase, because a jar must be buried up to its neck, which requires a soil depth at least equal to its height and a width that does not crowd the neighbouring roots.
🪴 The container determines the volume
Pot and window box
Choose the 1-litre model, 18 cm tall. Any larger, and there is not enough compost left around it.
Grow bed
The 2-litre format fits most raised beds available on the market.
Open ground
The 6-litre model goes where depth is no constraint and where you want to space out maintenance visits.
Heavy-feeding plants
Courgettes, tomatoes, and shrubs taking root need the largest format that will fit.
Measure the depth before choosing
Running a tape measure inside the pot before ordering avoids discovering that a 32 cm jar won't fit in a 25 cm container. If depth is the issue, a more compact olla or a pack of clay spikes will fit where this one won't. Two small, well-placed reservoirs are always better than one large one that distorts the root ball.
The collar should not be covered with soil
Burying a pot until the neck disappears completely is the most common mistake. You can no longer find it, you can no longer fill it, and soil falling inside will eventually block the reservoir. The neck should therefore sit slightly above soil level, and a flat stone placed on top is enough to close it, while limiting evaporation and preventing mosquitoes from settling in.
❄️ Before and after the season
The jar is installed when you prepare the container, before planting. Dig a hole to its dimensions, bury it up to the neck, firm the soil all around to ensure contact, then fill and cover the opening. This contact between the clay and the soil is the foundation of everything else, as an air pocket along the wall stops diffusion just as effectively as an empty pot. In autumn, the jar should be removed before the first frosts, since the water retained in the wall expands as it freezes and cracks the terracotta. Rinse it, allow it to dry completely, and store it under cover.
💧 The limits of the reservoir
A buried reservoir waters the area immediately around it, to a radius of roughly twice its diameter, and nothing beyond. It is therefore suited to a single plant or a small cluster of neighbouring plants, not to an entire bed, where you would need to line up several of them. Nor does it replace surface watering at sowing time, since a germinating seed works in the top two centimetres of soil, where diffusion has not yet reached. Think of it as what spares you from daily watering once your plants are established, not as what replaces your watering can altogether. Our article on oyas throughout the season puts these reservoirs in context alongside other watering solutions.
Technical specifications
The essentials
- Sizes available
- 1, 2 and 6 LThat's the reserve capacity, and therefore the interval between top-ups.
- Heights
- 18, 22 and 32 cmThe available soil depth must be at least equal to this height.
- Widths
- 12, 16 and 22 cmCheck in a pot: the jar must not crush the neighbouring roots.
- Weight
- 1.5 to 4 kgEmpty. When full, the six-litre version requires two hands to handle.
- Material
- TerracottaThe wall lets water through when the surrounding substrate dries out.
- Installation
- Buried to the neckSoil firmed all around, collar sitting slightly above ground level.
To budget for separately
- Something to dig with
- Spade or dibberA hole drilled to the exact dimensions of the jar, not a wide hole that is then plugged.
- Something to cover with
- Lid or flat stoneIt limits evaporation and prevents soil and debris from falling into the reservoir.
In the box
- 1 terracotta irrigation jar, in the chosen capacity.
Capacities, heights, widths, weights and materials: figures supplied by the manufacturer, recorded on 20/09/2026.
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It covers preparing your order and then the transit time quoted by the carrier, counted in working days.
It is not a guaranteed delivery date: public holidays, peak periods, customs or a carrier delay can extend it. The exact amount, in your currency, is worked out in the cart once your address is entered.
Terracotta is fragile and heavy: up to 4 kg for the six-litre version, packed accordingly. Unpack with care and check the wall before planting. Exact delivery costs are shown at checkout.
Frequently asked questions
8 questions
6 key questions, 8 in the detailed view
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